Five essays we loved in 2023

4%… in theory – Mathias Chaillot, Goutte d’Or editions

According to statistics, 4% of the population is homosexual. But why does this figure seem to cross eras and societies? Could there be scientific reasons for homosexuality? Starting from his own gay experience, the journalist Mathias Chaillot, who went through it Neon and specialist in chemsex matters, tells an important investigative story. Analyzing scientific research, the author tells us, for example, that people with an older brother are more likely to be gay than others.

The research, including sociological and philosophical, brilliantly combines personal memories, field investigation and dissemination. Ultimately, one thing is certain: there is nothing stranger than nature.

How we love each other – Ynaée Benaben and Louise Delavier for the association En Avant Tous, Mango éditions

Intended for teenagers and young adults, this little book lays the essential foundations, without taboos, for healthy romantic relationships. Supported by the En Avant Tous association which fights against domestic violence among young people, the work dissects with precision and simplicity all the questions that can be asked about romantic relationships, about what love is and above all what it is not. He often humiliates me, always wants to have sex, threatens to distribute intimate photos… Through the chapters that classify the types of violence, clear limits are established. Inclusive, the book does not forget to talk about sexual orientation, disabilities or different cultures, with the aim of raising awareness as much as possible about intersectional violence. To put in the hands of the young people around you.

Let’s decolonize ourselves – Franck Lao

The first attempt by Franck Lao, behind the anti-racist pedagogy Instagram account @let’s decolonize, begins with a story that crosses the intimate and the political. The author was nine years old when his father died in the tainted blood scandal. Forgotten by French history, this HIV-related health episode has nevertheless claimed numerous victims over the course of almost 20 years. This leads to a sociological investigation dotted with contemporary examples of the effects of colonization today. Addressing both fetishization in intimate relationships and police violence, including the system of domination of the Francophone world, the work paints an accurate and accessible picture of what is at stake when we talk about racism in France.

Disney-Pixar decoding – Celia Sauvage

At a time when the most famous animation studios are celebrating their hundredth anniversary, cinema doctor and researcher on cinematic representation Célia Sauvage analyzes the hundred Disney-Pixar productions in her first book. Browsing the cartoons that marked our childhood, we rediscover these stories from a new angle. Homophobia, grossophobia, racism or ableism are highlighted chapter after chapter with careful analysis. Without passing judgment, she also notes the evolution of productions towards greater inclusiveness and the changes in narratives implemented over the years. Whether you were a fan as a child, or still are, the book also offers a broader reflection on the importance of representations for children, and on how cartoons shape the way we think about the world.

Eat the rich : Nora Bouazzouni

“The class struggle passes through the plate”, This is the subtitle of the new essay by journalist Nora Bouazzouni, a specialist in issues related to food as a social and political context. Behind the dishes that arrive on our tables, the author deciphers the issues of food production and transformation, in which large multinationals, but also states and small farmers, are actors. Food is a pleasure only for those who have the means, explains the author, because, if food is political, it is also social, as she addresses the book by talking about fatphobia, good taste, hunger and health scandals. Rich in examples of recent news and adorned with fluid and sharp writing, Eat the rich it gets devoured in one fell swoop and makes you want to politicize your cooking.